DEA agents and El Paso police arrested 11 people on suspicion of being part of local methamphetamine manufacturing rings, federal officials said Thursday.

Ring members allegedly would go to various pharmacies to buy products with pseudoephedrine and then use it to produce methamphetamine in a process known as “cooking.”

The arrests were made Thursday and Wednesday as part of two federal indictments for activities since 2005, stated a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Details of the arrests were not revealed.

“Methamphetamine is extremely harmful to individual abusers and can destroy the quality of life in any community,” said Joseph M. Arabit, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso division.

“Through this investigation, the DEA is holding dealers, as well as those who aid in meth am phetamine production by diverting pseudoephedrine, accountable for the harm they cause,” Arabit said in a statement.